


Trundling On

by Cmdr_Spadge



Series: Confluence [2]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 07:50:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2221266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cmdr_Spadge/pseuds/Cmdr_Spadge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto and Owen find themselves in an inexplicable friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trundling On

______________________________

 

In the days after Ianto’s return to work, and with Lisa’s autopsy still fresh between them, they develop the habit of having a coffee together at some point during each day.

Sometimes Ianto will make the drinks and sit on the steps of the autopsy room and Owen will potter around and prod and poke at whatever he’s doing, reeling off details and getting excited when things go completely against his predictions. Showing a childish relish and exuberance for his profession that few get to see from him any more.

Other times Owen will walk to the local coffee shop and fetch something too strong or too sweet or just plain awful and they’ll laugh to themselves and take the piss out of each other while they compete to see who can drink the caffeinated monstrosity first.

If Ianto is in the archives when Owen goes to find him their talk is always serious, always about something that has been preying on Owen’s mind or something that upset him and he needs to talk through, though he’ll never admit it aloud in those terms.

He appreciates the stolid reception he gets from Ianto at times like that. He knows other people would try and fluff the issues out and make them less threatening, or attempt to change his perspective on events so he doesn’t feel so angry about what they’ve had to do, the lies they have to tell from day to day. Ianto would never – doesn’t ever – do that. More often than not he barely says a word during these conversations. Leaves it to Owen to rant and rave for minutes at a time. Waiting for just the right moment to give a nod or a confirmation.

They both appreciate that they’d probably rather share this sort of emotional junk with someone else; yet they are both painfully aware that neither of them has that person in their lives.

After these tiny moments of friendship they drift back into the normal work routine whereby they hardly ever speak unless throwing muttered insults back and forth.

There’s a visible relaxing of the atmosphere between them, and each member of the team puts it down to something different entirely.

Tosh thinks it’s because Owen is too occupied with his attempts to start a new affair to remember to berate Ianto as thoroughly as before.

Gwen thinks that maybe Ianto is starting to recover from the shock of loosing Lisa and is holding back from Owen because of guilt.

Jack thinks Owen is trying to bed Ianto as well as Gwen, and is wondering why he hasn’t been invited to the love-in.

*~*

Occasionally Owen will turn up at Ianto’s flat with a bottle of expensive whiskey.

The first time this happened was the evening after Lisa. It was Owen’s bid to remind Ianto once more that everything would be forgiven and that he, at least, wanted him back at work for more than to hand in his resignation. Although, he doesn’t really know why, nor where this sudden and powerful loyalty has come from.

Maybe, he thinks to himself, slightly horrified, I’m actually growing up.

Ianto doesn’t know why he lets him in every time. Although if he really thought about it, he’d realise it was because of what Owen had said to him on that first evening he appeared, sprawled haphazardly on his couch and more than a little worse for wear.

“You’ve got to come back to work anyway. I like having someone around who doesn’t know more than me. Plus, you know, it’s always good to have you as back up for when I fuck up again. No matter how bad it is I can always just say to Jack ‘ah, but remember Ianto’. ”

He’d given Ianto a huge grin and a chuckle at that and almost fallen off the edge of the sofa. Despite everything, Ianto had found it funny, and in an odd way refreshing, even if it was so true it hurt.

He’d laughed quietly to himself and not even shouted when Owen spilt whiskey on his carpet.

 

~*~

 

When Ianto steps out of the showers in the hub and gingerly makes his way back towards Owen for his third check up of the day, he’s surprised to hear him arguing with Jack.

“I’ve told you, I’m going to do it. I’ll check him out and then take him home. You’re not going near him. End of. He doesn’t need the Harkness experience right now.”

“What about Gwen?” Ianto can hear the snarl in Jacks voice and he curious enough to wonder what’s happened between her and the medic to stand just out of sight around the corner and see if he’ll get any more details.

“She got her closure and her wounds are sorted for now. So let me look after the rest of the team.” There’s something in his voice that suggests he knows she’ll be coming to see him for comfort before long but Ianto doesn’t understand enough of what’s going on to decide whether that’s just for Jack’s benefit or if Owen really believes it.

“He’ll be fine Owen. He’s strong. I’ll take him home and make sure he’s comfortable, you go home and rest too.” An edge of authority is creeping into Jack’s voice now and it seems like he’s about to pull rank on his deputy.

There’s a pause and Ianto wonders if this might be the time to remind them that he’s more than capable of taking himself home. As he starts to move out into view he hears Owen draw breath and start on Jack again. He can almost feel the medic’s change in posture and sense his head thrown back and chin tilted out in defiance and animosity.

“I told you we should’ve gone to look for them. We shouldn’t have left them; - you - shouldn’t have left them. If you’d been seconds later he’d be dead.” His tone was even and his voice quiet but there was resentment there too, a slight snarl that added so much more weight to the words than volume ever could.

Ianto knew it was time to move into view, if only to prevent a melt down.

“Lucky for me Jack has a hero complex then huh?” Ianto grinned, trying to break some of the tension and not succeeding in the least.

“Med suite, now.” Is Owen’s barked reply.

*~*

Despite his obvious annoyance, Owens hands are gentle and warm and he apologises every time he makes Ianto flinch away or prods a little too hard. He scowls in concentration and distractedly hums to himself as he’s adding notes to Ianto’s medical records.

When he’s finally done he nods to Ianto then holds his gaze.

“It scared the shit out of me earlier.”

Ianto doesn’t have to ask him what he means by this remark, uttered so quietly that it was barely audible. He knows what the doctor is trying to say. Is thankful he isn’t going to mention the gag or the cleaver or the look of terror they had shared as Owen was thrown to the floor and he was paraded before them all as nothing but the first course for the evening.

He feels once again the awkwardness of a situation where he’s being given compassion from someone he thought couldn’t care less about him.

This time it’s shared anger and an adrenaline hangover that bring them together. Last time it was betrayal and Ianto wonders what life threatening and world changing event it will be next time.

 

~FIN~


End file.
